Joyce Kay Allphin Goodrich

Joyce Kay Allphin Goodrich

A Musical Life

On February 10, 1936, Joyce Kay was born to the home of Doris and McKay Allphin, of Lovell, Wyoming. Joyce Kay would be the only child in the family. For the rest of her life, she longed for the accompaniment of family and friends. Her parents were enterprising, hard working, and musical. While building their home and life, the small family created their own soundtrack, singing in harmony with each other and each taking a part. Young Joyce Kay was exposed to both the obvious and the subtle lessons of music: when to sing in unison, when to divide into harmony, how to lead and how to support.

During her elementary school years, Joyce Kay began taking piano lessons. This was the beginning of her love for the piano, a passion she developed over the years through formal lessons, study, practice, and playing for others. A quick learner, Joyce Kay did well in school. Her yearning for connection led her to participate in band, drama, musicals, and writing. She was a cheerleader in high school, and she became aware of a handsome, athletic, older boy. Joyce Kay’s desire for love and connection took on a new quality, and she joined with Gary M. Goodrich in starting a family of their own.

Joyce Kay and Gary’s six children were raised in a loving, religious, musical home. She often told her children that the best gift she could ever give them was each other. While she enjoyed community connection–room mother, PTA, arts and theater, callings within The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints–the primary themes of her life were family, faith, music, and creativity.

Accompaniment

During the years, Joyce Kay was mastering the art of accompaniment. She became skilled in playing piano in a way that gave just enough structure to let others shine. An accompanist must be attuned to others, adapting and supporting, allowing a person or group to be at their artistic best. Difficult enough while playing piano for someone, it is even more challenging to be the accompanist when people are facing troubled relationships, life traumas, losses, or dilemmas of choice.

Perhaps her most challenging accompaniment began before the family was even complete. When Gary developed life-threatening asthma, the doctor warned Joyce Kay to prepare to be a young widow. She had to summon strength and courage that surely felt beyond her capacity. Guided by faith and comforted by music, she took the lead in caring for her threatened family. As better medicines were introduced, Gary’s health returned, and the pressure relented. The quiet strength she developed during those difficult years never left her. It became one of her defining characteristics as she lovingly accompanied not only Gary, but also each of her children, grandchildren, and countless others through the changing seasons of their lives.

Duet

In the autumn of her life, Joyce Kay and Gary found new ways of serving others: preserving and writing family and personal histories, community involvement, and serving together in Illinois, Peoria, and the Salt Lake Temple Square missions, a service mission at the Conference Center, and service in the Bountiful, Utah, temple. She also enjoyed a service mission at the Beehive House in Salt Lake City. These were golden years for them.

Solo

In September of 2024, Joyce Kay was forced into the most painful aria of her life. After 70 years of singing a duet, she found herself performing an unwanted solo. It was the first time in her life that Joyce Kay lived on her own. In many ways, though, it was never truly a solo. Those she had spent a lifetime accompanying now gathered around her. After a year of staying in her own home, she made the difficult decision to move to Legacy House at Park Lane, an assisted living facility in her own community and with a view of the mountains that she loved. Joyce Kay made friends her very first day, and true to her nature, she found joy in her new home. The last musical piece she performed privately for Gary and publicly at Legacy was “Shenandoah.”

After celebrating her 90th birthday, Joyce Kay began losing strength. She suffered a series of falls, sometimes with good humor, but other times with significant injuries. Her capacity to rebound surprised her treatment team, staff, and even herself. However, at four in the morning on Sunday, July 26, she suffered a fall that proved too serious.

Joyce Kay’s life was a beautiful composition. She leaves us to accompany each other as she is reunited with her beloved Gary, where their duet continues.

Funeral services will be held Saturday, August 1, at 1:00 PM at the Farmington South Stake Center, 695 S 200 E, Farmington, UT 84025, with a viewing held prior from 11:30–12:30 PM. A viewing will also be held the night before, Friday, July 31, 2026, from 6:00–8:00 PM at Russon Mortuary, 1941 N Main St, Farmington, UT.

The service will be streamed live on the Russon Mortuary & Crematory YouTube page and on this obituary.